It is pleasure to share a podium with fellow citizens from Jammu. I am
grateful to Sajjad Raja and JKNAP for arranging this seminar that we can
interact with each other and share our views.

After a comprehensive speech by Sajjad Raja and few others, there is not
much left to add on this topic. However, I would take this opportunity to
elaborate some of the points and hurdles from a different perspective.

If Kashmir means State of Jammu and Kashmir, which represents regions of
Jammu, Valley of Kashmir, Ladakh, Gilgit Baltistan and Azad Kashmir, then in that
sense I can be called a Kashmir. However, I live in Bhimber, which is part of
Jammu. In that sense, I belong to Jammu. Culture and history of Kashmir is
different to that of Jammu. I have more in common with Jammu than Kashmir.

Our demand is simple. We want reunification of the State of Jammu and
Kashmir that existed on 15 August 1947. My demand is not Kashmir of Budshah.
Whether someone like it or not, the founder of the State we demand was Gulab
Singh. Its last ruler was Maharaja Hari Singh.

I am not interested in what religion the Dogra rulers followed, or
whether they believed in any religion or not. They were our rulers. We cannot change
history according to our whims. If we want to judge their rule, don’t judge
them by the standards of 2018, and what we see in Britain and in Geneva. Judge
them by the standards of that time, and then see how they ruled us.

We criticise non-Muslim rulers, but ignore rule of Muslim rulers of Princely
States. Take one example of Ruler of Junagarr, when he had to flee his State,
in his plane he did not bring any of his subjects, he brought more than hundred
his beloved dogs and close family members to Pakistan. He was not a people
friendly ruler, but no one speaks about him because he was a Muslim.

Murder of history

In my considered opinion, the first hurdle is the murder of history by
Pakistan. Pakistani government, media, secret agencies, their political
parties, their proxies and paid authors have worked hard and systematically to
distorte history of Jammu and Kashmir and Pakistan. They have fooled us and the
people of Pakistan in name of Islam.

People of Jammu and Kashmir realised that the name of Muslim Conference
did not appropriately reflect the sentiments of all sections of Jammu and
Kashmir State. Therefore, the name of Muslim Conference was changed to National
Conference in 1938. When the Lahore Resolution was passed in the 1940, the
leaders of Muslim League instructed Muslim Conference leaders of Jammu to
revive the old Muslim Conference. Muslim League knew they will play a religious
card in the British India and in Jammu and Kashmir; and for that purpose,
proxies were needed.

One can see the logic of starting a Quit India Movement in India against
the British, as they came from Britain. What was the logic of starting a Quit
Kashmir Movement against Maharaja Hari Singh? He was ruler of the State of
Jammu and Kashmir. Did not this Movement have inbuilt religious and regional sentiments?

Provisional
Government

Syria is controlled by different warring factions. Even the capital is
not under the control of President Bashar Al Asad. Anywhere in the world you ask
who is the President of Syria they will say, Bashar Al Asad. Similarly, in
neighbouring Afghanistan, majority of the territory is not under the control of
government in Kabul. If you ask people in the world who is president of
Afghanistan, they will say Ashraf Ghani.

Now look at our foolishness. A few people sit in Rawalpindi, a city in
Pakistan, a country that has obsession to capture Jammu and Kashmir. These
political non-entities who had no support of any political party, issued a
statement that they have dismissed the Maharaja of Jammu and Kashmir and formed
a Provisional government. We illogically have embraced that statement as a
gospel truth, and believe that on strength of the statement the Maharaja was
dismissed and his right to rule was abrogated.

No one ask who gave them this right to issue this statement? What
authority they had to dismiss the Ruler of a State? What happened to the person
who issued that statement? People failed to understand that it was another
conspiracy against the Maharaja and Jammu and Kashmir State.

Back stabbing

Many of us are very keen in attacking India, even when Pakistan is at
fault. We had a written agreement with Pakistan. Did India ask Pakistan to
violate the Standstill Agreement and attack Jammu and Kashmir?

Tell me why I should attack India, is it because Pakistan attacked us by
violating the Standstill Agreement? Shall I condemn India because Pakistan attacked
us with intention of occupying our State and loot and plunder our resources?
Those who attacked us were told that anything which is removable is yours, it
means girls, women and everything else that can be carried on trucks belonged
to attackers.

Muslim soldiers of the Maharaja army were under oath to protect him and
his State of Jammu and Kashmir. For this they were trained, given guns and bullets,
given uniforms and other facilities which were available to other soldiers of
the time. When in name of jihad, the Pakistani sponsored attack came, these
soldiers, instead of honouring their pledges made to the Maharaja betrayed him
and joined the attackers.

For this betrayal of Muslim soldiers, shall I condemn the Maharaja Hari
Singh or condemn India. Shall I call these people heroes or collaborators, who
helped a neighbouring country to invade Jammu and Kashmir, kill innocent
people, rape women and loot and plunder.

India’s entry in
Jammu and Kashmir

1.Unlike Pakistan, India entered Jammu
and Kashmir on request of the Ruler of Jammu and Kashmir.

2.India entered Jammu and Kashmir
after a written treaty, which in my view is not final as people have the final
say on that.

3.According to this treaty, India was
to push out the Pakistani attackers and clear the State of foreign invaders.

4.India was to protect life and
liberty and property of the people.

India failed to fulfil its obligations; and people are suffering and are
being killed on both sides of the forced division. Still territory of Jammu and
Kashmir is under occupation of those who attacked Jammu and Kashmir in October
1947.

India is under obligation of this treaty; and also under obligation of
the UNCIP Resolutions to protect life and liberty, and protect other
fundamental rights of the people. India has miserably failed to do that.

Remember, if Pakistan sends trained militants to Jammu and Kashmir to
kill and destabilise the region, it is not my responsibility to stop them and
fight them. I am not trained for that purpose. It is India’s responsibility to
stop them and protect people of Jammu and Kashmir that everyone feels safe in
all parts of State.

If India cannot or does not want to protect life, liberty and property
of the people, then they should make it clear. Tell people that we can’t defend
you, or we have no will to defend you and protect your fundamental rights.

India cannot and must not allow its para military forces to commit human
rights abuses under the pretext that Pakistan is sending militants; and in
order to fight them they have to commit human rights abuses.

Accession or
independence

Nations seek independence; and sooner or later they get their
independence. Those who seek accession, they end up receiving what we people
Jammu and Kashmir have – forced division, oppression and injustice and no
future in sight.

Our struggle is for unification and independence of the State that
existed on 15 August 1947. I am not interested in state of Budshah. I am not
saying after unification impose a Dogra ruler on throne. I am not saying
glorify their religion, but at least, appreciate some of the good work they
have done. They have given us identity. A sense of belonging. We want that
identity and sense of belonging to a nation.

Here, I want to ask a question from our guests from Jammu. Your ancestors
established State of Jammu and Kashmir. They ruled this State up till 1947.
That state is forcibly divided. What have you done for the reunification and
independence of Jammu and Kashmir State?

If you are happy with accession to India, then what is difference
between you and Sardar Atiq and others who want accession to Pakistan?

A common point for all of us can be unification and independence of the
State. Our struggle must be peaceful. We know what gun has given to our fellow
citizens on the other side of the divide. Here, I must admire vision of Shaukat
Ali Kashmiri, who opposed militancy at a time when everyone wanted to jump on
the bandwagon of Jihad. He called it a proxy war.

Our struggle, therefore, must remain non-violent and non-religious, as
religions divide people on religious lines. State belongs to all of us;
religion is a personal matter.

Writer is a renowned
writer and author of many books. He is also a senior leader of UKPNP and
Chairman South Asia Watch, London.

About Me

Dr Shabir Choudhry has done extensive research on the issue of Kashmir and Indo Pakistan relations. He passed BA Honours in Politics and History, and Mphil in International Relations (title of the thesis, ‘Kashmir and Partition of India’); and title of his PhD thesis is ‘Kashmir- An issue of a nation not a dispute of a land’.

Apart from this Dr Shabir Choudhry passed Post Graduates Certificates in Education, and NVQ Assessor’s qualifications; and taught English in London.

Political Achievements

Founder member of JKLF (Jammu Kashmir Liberation Front established in 1977) and got elected as a Press Secretary in 1984.

Became its Secretary General in 1985, and resigned from this post in 1996.

Got elected President of JKLF and Europe in May 1999, and decided not to contest in elections of July 2001.

Said good - bye to the JKLF as it is in many groups and is largely seen as advancing a Pakistani agenda on Kashmir dispute, and set up a new party Kashmir National Party in May 2008.

.

At present, he is:

·Spokesman Kashmir National Party and Director Diplomatic Committee;

·Spokesman for International KashmirAlliance;

·Founder member and Director Institute of Kashmir Affairs;

Previously

·A founder Member and Trustee/ Director of London based registered charity, Kashmir Foundation International and resigned from this position in August 2001.

·Regularly take part in the Sessions of the UN Human Rights (Commission) now Council in Geneva; and address various conferences and seminars to oppose violence and highlight the Kashmir cause.

·Participated in a Round Table Conference on Kashmir, organised by Socialist Group of European Parliament in Brussels in 1993.

·Addressed as a Chief Guest in a seminar on issue of Mangla Dam during the UN Sub Commission’s proceedings in August 2003.

·Addressed as a key - note speaker in a seminar on the issue of Gilgit and Baltistan, organised by Association of British Kashmiris.

·Addressed as a keynote speaker on human rights conference in Paris in 1991.

·Addressed at CambridgeUniversity as a Chief Guest in a conference on Kashmir in 1990.

·Addressed as a keynote speaker at New Delhi conference on Kashmir, which was part of Track Two diplomacy in November 2000.

·In September 2008, addressed a Conference arranged by Interfaith International in Geneva, topic of which was:“Kashmir Issue, Terrorism and Human Rights”.

·Addressed as a speaker in a NGO Conference on Self - Determination in Geneva in August 2000.

·Addressed as a keynote speaker in a fringe meeting of Liberal Democrats at their Annual Conference in Brighton in 1995.

·Participated in World Human Rights Conference in Vienna in 1993.

·Before President Clinton's visit to India and Pakistan in 2000, lead a JKLF delegation to the State Department to discuss Kashmir dispute and situation in South Asia.

·Also had two rounds of meetings with senior State Department officials before President Musharraf’s meeting to Washington in June 2003.

·Apart from that had meetings with senior officials including Ministers of different countries, and also held many meetings with the State Department and Foreign and Commonwealth Office officials on number of occasions.

·Played important role in advancing a Kashmiri perspective on the issue of Jammu and Kashmir; and also helped Baroness Emma Nicholson with her report ‘Kashmir: present situation and future prospects’, which was adopted by the European Parliament in May 2007.

·Won first prize in an essay competition in Urdu in 1976. It was organised by High Commission of Pakistan in London, and title of the essay was 'Qaaid-e- Azam's role in Islamic History'.

·Apart from that have addressed conferences in Brussels, Geneva, Toronto, Islamabad, Delhi, and

Publications

·Got first Urdu novel ‘Fareena’ published at the age of eighteen.

·Second Urdu novel ‘Bay-Khataa’ which was about the problems of Asian youths living in UK published in 1983.

·Third Urdu book ‘Pakistan and Kashmiri struggle for independence’ published in 1990.

·Fourth Urdu book is also on Kashmiri struggle, 'Is an independent Kashmir a conspiracy?'

·Apart from that has twenty books and booklets published in English on various aspects of the Kashmiri struggle.

·Recent publications are: Kashmir dispute as I see it

·Different perspective on Kashmir

·JKLF visit to Pakistan Administered Kashmir

·Kashmir Needs Change of Heart

·If not self - determination then what?

·Emma Nicholson report- who has won?

·Struggle for independence, Jihad or proxy war (Introduction by Baroness Emma Nicholson)

·

Future publications

Following books were completed some time ago and shall be published in near future:

In Search of Freedom - My visit to Srinagar and Islamabad

Kashmir and Partition of India

A brief background

Dr Shabir Choudhry was born in a small village called Nakker Shimali (near Panjeri) in District Bhimber, Azad Kashmir. He went to UK in 1966, and like other people from the region, holds a dual nationality. He left secondary school in 1970 with no qualifications and began his life as a textile worker.

In 1975 he started part time studies and passed Matriculation from Government High School Panjeri, passed ‘O’ and ‘A’ levels from UK, and resumed full time degree course in 1981, and passed BA (Hons) in Politics and History in 1984.

He continued full time and part time jobs until he got his Mphil. He passed his PGCE (Post Graduates Certificate in Education) in 1990, and then started full time job as a Lecturer. Due to health problems he resigned from teaching in 1999. At present he is self - employed, provides private tuition, translation and interpretation and consultancy.

Through out his adult life he has actively worked for the cause of Kashmir, and even during long illness he effectively carried out his responsibilities as a leader of the JKLF, a ‘prolific writer’ and consistent campaigner of Rights Movement and peace in Jammu and Kashmir and South Asia.